Vehicles such as bicycles, mopeds, scooters, and motorcycles, lawn mowers, exercise bikes, tractors, etc., include seats that the rider sits upon during operation. Such vehicles include a seat post and the seat includes a stem for coupling to the seat post. The seat includes a saddle supported on the stem for supporting a rider in a seated position.
The saddle may be cushioned to absorb shock during operation of the vehicle to improve the comfort of the rider. For example, the saddle may include foam or gel inserts.
Riders may desire various levels of saddle stiffness. For example, various riders have different personal preferences regarding the stiffness of the saddle. Further, variations on use of the saddle may change the stiffness preferences of the rider. Such variations include changes in clothing, the addition/removal of a backpack, and distance and time of travel.
Foam or gel inserts are not typically adjustable to adjust stiffness. As such, various saddles may be interchangeably used to adjust the stiffness, or the stiffness of a single seat may be adjusted by replacing the foam or gel inserts with other inserts having a different stiffness.
However, riders may also have a desire to change the stiffness of the saddle during operation of the vehicle. For example, during operation, a rider may wish to change the stiffness of the saddle based on differences in terrain and ergonomic issues based on distance and time of travel. As such, there remains an opportunity to design a seat that may be adjusted to change the stiffness, including at times when the vehicle is being operated.